Composition for sealing preserving-jars and other purposes.



tion is to provide a composition which shall l5 slowly; which shall be tough and somewhat i0 temperatures, and which possessed of these UNITED STATES PATENT {)FFI'CE.

ALEXANDER H. KERR, ZI PORTLAN D, OREGON. GOIIPOSITION FOR SEALING PI RESERVING-JARS AND OTHER PURPOSES.

no. 930,481. Specification of Letters Patent; Patented Aug. 10, race.

Application filed November 14, 1908. Serial No. 462,597.

To all whom 'it may concern: or resinous and remains quite unaffected for it known that I, ALEXANDER H. KERR, a long time and it is plastic at about 125 F. a citizen of the United States, and a resident he composition at a comparatively low of Portland, in the county of Multnomah and temperature will, when used in connection State of Oregon, have invented a new and with or attached to the lids or covers of fruit useful Composition for Sealing Preservin jars or preservingvessels, fill and sealnot Jars and other Purposes, of which the folonly the space between the vessels or jars owing 1s 'a specification. j and covers or lids, but also spaces due to e principal object of the present invenordinary inequalities or imperfections. This quality is advantageous whether the vacuum sealing be practiced hot or cold," that is to say, Whether the vacuum be" created b means of a pump or the lilqe, or whether the vacuum be created by the cooling of the pre r viously heated contents of the jar or vessel. Balata cools slowly and thus there is,-when ,the composition isused in or in connection with the lids or covers of jars or vessels into which the contents is placedhot and permitted tocool toform a vacuum, suiiicient time qualities in whole or in part, is well adapted. for the accomplishment of the complete sealfor use in connection with or adherence to ing of the vessels or jars; it being understood metallic or other caps or-lids for preserving that the composition isin this instance heatvessels or fruit jars and for use in other rela-- ed by heat imparted-by the contents of the 5 tions and connections. jar or other'vessel. Balata when cooled does A compositionof my invention comprises not become too firm or brittle, which is ad-, balata along with other compounding subvantageous when it is used in a composition stances and with a gum, thus making a comapplied to or used in connection with the not be materially affected by the action of air; which shall be comparatively soft at. ordinary temperatures and not too firm or brittle when cool which shall cool fairly elastic and adhesive and cementing; which shall resist corrosive alkalies, most acids, oils and all food acids, and which shall be plastic at a little above and'soft yet firm at ordinary position which is qulte homogeneous and covers of fruit jars or preserving vessels,

) plastic at a moderate heat, under that of since the latter are often exposed to comboiling water, and quite tough yet not brittle paratively low temperatures. Balata in my and somewhat soft at the ordinary atmoscomposition enables the composition to with pheric temperature. The composition is of stand comparatively high tem eratures of gripping quality, acid proof, oil proof, flexiwhich 212 F. is an exam le, wit out becomble, plastic water proof, air proof, insect ing more than usefully p astic.

proof and durable, and is capable of being The principal ingredient of the compound applied to many purposes in the commercial is balata, but the best-results are obtained by arts; furthermore it is comparatively inits use in admixture withcompounding ma-' expensive. terials, and with a gum. These added ingre- In application to jars or preserving packdients should, of course like balata itself, be ages of various kind, my composition makes inert in the sense of not being deleterious a hermetically air tight seal. It is free from under conditions of the use or uses to which unpleasant odor or taste and will not-taint the compound may be put and these ingreor affect the flavor of the contents of any dients may'bevaried widely. Examples of I preserving vessels or fruit jars, it will not compounding materials are barytes, mag- 1 deteriorate or become brittle and it is sani nesia, litho one, powdered charcoal, asbestary and unattackable by food acids as well 'tos, oxid o zinc, aluminum flakes and uias by oils. The latter property renders the verized chalk, either singly or in combination. composition especially applicable and of Among the functions of the'compounding great merit for use in connection with packmaterial or materials the following may be ing oily fish, sardines, etc. Balata is relamentioned: At ordinary temperature or at tively inexpensive and is possessed of the comparatively low temperatures the comqualities above recited and it imparts them pounding materialor materials impart to the to the composition. Balata does not, under composition flexibility, and at high tempera the influence of air, become hard and brittle tures they impart to it the appropriate coher- 'ence or consistency, for giving it the ne'ces sa body to cause it to operate properly as a sea ing compound without being too soft.

', An example of a gum is caoutchouc. The

5 proportions may be varied according to the intended use, but an example of proportions suitable for jars or preservmg'lids or covers,- is by weight balata 30%, caoutchouc 5%, compounding materials 65%. The com- 10 poundin materials as I have said,-may be varied, ut examples thereof, ,are, having reference to the total percentage of the composition, 15% asbestos and 50% barytes. As I have alread stated, the com ound- 15 ing materials may e varied widely oth in character and in quantity and I do notTconfine myself to the use of a combination of them or to the proportions as set forth of either balata, caoutchouc or compounding 0 materials.

- The ingredients of this composition may be-brought into a homogeneous plastic stateby means of mixing rollers and other apfpropriate'means and worked up into the MM 25: of washers, gaskets, or other articles adapted to the intended use. Since the ingredients are mechanically mixed the com osition may .be said to be raw in the sense t at it is notvulcani'zed.

3 I do not desire to be limited or confined as to the use to which a composition of my incom osition forms the subject-matter of my appV cation, serially numbered 462,598, but hat-I claim is: I

1. A plastic raw sealing composition consistingof balata, a gum, and a compounding hot and flexible when cold, substantially as described.

2.- A plastic raw sealing composition consistin of balata, a caoutchouc and a compoun ing material and coherent and adhesive when hot and' flexible when cold, substantially as described.

3. A plastic raw sealing composition consisting of balata, a gum and a compounding material including asbestos and an nert substance, and coherent and adhesive when hot and flexible when cold, substantially as described.

sisting of balata, a gum, and a compounding material in sufficient proportions for imparting to the composition flexibility at relatively low temperatures and appropriate coherence at relatively high temperatures, substantially as descri ed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of witnesses.

ALEXANDER H. KERR.

vention may be put. Witnesses:

In this apphcation I do not claim the com- A. .SEoH'rEM, position wit out theme of a relatively small J.-H. ALLEN.

proportion of gum, as caoutchouc, asthat material and coherent and adhesive when 4. A plastic raw sealing composition con- 

